Whale care a priority

Special operations team members of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) spent World Environment Day this year on Botany Bay, honing their skills in whale disentanglement.

Whale disentanglement training.

11 June 2025

 

A DOZEN experts refreshed their skills in freeing entangled whales, using a mock whale tail and various ropes and floats, similar to what migrating whales may encounter.

 

NPWS whale disentanglement teams are on standby along the NSW coast, ready to respond when migrating whales become entangled in fishing gear or marine debris. Operating only when conditions are safe, these highly trained teams use small boats in open seas to carry out the complex and dangerous task of rescuing 25-40-tonne wild animals from tangles of ropes and floats.

 

The NSW whale watching season began on 1 May, as around 40,000 humpback whales migrate north from Antarctica to warmer waters off Queensland and NSW to mate, calve, or socialise before returning south. The 10,000-kilometre journey is one of the longest migrations of any mammal.

 

Team Leader, Conservation at NPWS, Mel Hall, said running simulations of disentangling whales is critical to ensuring success when the inevitable happens.

 

“Unfortunately, the whales migration path is littered with ocean debris and fishing equipment and it’s a matter of time until the two collide, with whales generally coming off second best.

 

“Our team is committed to keeping these beautiful animals safe and I encourage anyone to contact NPWS if they see any sea creature struggling.”

 

Funding through the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy has positioned NSW as a national leader in whale disentanglement response and research. If you see a distressed or entangled whale, please contact the NPWS on 13000PARKS (1300 072 757) or ORRCA on 02 9415 3333 immediately.

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